


And The Final Goodbye

by AussieWriter1



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 21:36:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5601946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AussieWriter1/pseuds/AussieWriter1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the defeat of Prospero and Moriarty's apparent demise, the villain returns for one final goodbye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And The Final Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So this is kind of an AU, since I'm 99% sure that Moriarty will return in Season 3. But I couldn't stop my brain from thinking "What if?" This fic explores what I would have wanted to happen if Moriarty did 'die' in 2x10. Hope you enjoy!

Eve laughed as Flynn tore past her again, running erratically down the hall after Excalibur. She loved seeing the genuine smile on the Librarian’s face, knowing how much having his best friend back meant to him. With the Library and Cal now home, the only members of Flynn’s family to return were Charlene and Judson. Just as Eve began to think back to when Dulaque and Lamia first invaded the Library, she heard a firm knock on their door. Yelling to the others in the Annex that she would answer it, Eve made her way to the front door.

As she walked, Eve rolled her eyes, thinking that Jones had probably ordered pizza for them to celebrate their victory over Prospero. Reaching into her back pocket for her wallet, Eve threw open the door, plastering on a kind smile.

Her smile slipped quickly from her face, however, as she realised who it was standing on their doorstep. Her hand receded from her pocket as she stood stock still, shock tumbling through her body. It surely wasn’t possible. Standing before her in his traditional black outfit, was James Moriarty.

“Moriarty, what? How are you even here? You were-“

“Stabbed, I know. Rather badly in fact. But we both know, Duchess, that’s not how my story ends.” Moriarty smiled charmingly at her, but Eve could tell that something wasn’t right. His voice didn’t have the smug tone to it that it normally did when the Fictional knew something that she didn’t. Glancing down, Eve started as she saw Moriarty’s arm begin to flicker, as if it were becoming smoke.

“Your arm.”

“Ah yes. Well,” Moriarty flinched back in pain, “It seems that without Prospero to command me, and without the Staff of Knowledge to free myself from him, I’m being drawn back into my book. I am, unfortunately, not a free Fictional as I would have hoped.”

“No. No, no we can fix this. There has to be something we can do!” Eve glanced between his arm and his face desperately. “What happened to the Staff of Knowledge?"

“Prospero managed to take it from me before I could be freed. And while I appreciate your determination, Duchess, I’m afraid there’s nothing to be done. I believe that in a few moments, I will be imprisoned in my book once again.”

Eve could feel tears pricking at her eyes as an ache developed slowly in the back of her throat. He was so calm, so sure, whereas she could barely keep herself from breaking. She had never trusted him, never considered him a friend. But he was far from her enemy, and he certainly didn’t deserve this.

However, as much as she wanted to continue fighting, to find some way of saving him, Eve knew in her heart that there was nothing to be done. If there were, Moriarty would have done it already. After all, she trusted his self-interest.

Instead of pushing the matter further, Eve decided to change topics, asking a question she already knew the answer to, only because she couldn’t quite think of what else to say.

“Why did you come back then, if you only have a few free moments?”

Moriarty smiled knowingly, and Eve knew that he had quickly deduced her reasoning behind the question. Still, he indulged her.

“Isn’t it obvious, my dear?” Moriarty asked, telling Eve exactly what she had already known. “I had to see you again, just one last time. I believe I’ve become rather fond of you, Eve Baird.”

Eve laughed despite herself, feeling her tears begin to run as he used her full name for the first real time. Wiping at them hurriedly, she quickly reached forward and pulled the Fictional into a strong hug. Moriarty responded immediately, and she could feel his arms shake as they wrapped around her.

“You never did take me dancing, you know.”

This time it was Moriarty’s turn to laugh, and she felt his chest rise and fall against her own.

“No, I don’t suppose I did.”

They remained in their position for a few more moments, both content to simply let their actions convey everything they couldn’t say. Eventually, Moriarty broke the silence as he spoke into her shoulder.

“Will you promise me something, Duchess?”

Pulling back slightly, Eve stared into Moriarty’s eyes as she responded. She searched for any sign of trickery, even though she knew she wouldn’t find any. Not now.

“Anything.”

“Will you read my story? Or rather, re-read it? Would you look for me, the real me?” Moriarty basically begged her. She could have sworn she saw moisture beginning to pool in his eyes, but she pushed past it, knowing that if she focused on it for too long she would bring forth her own onslaught of new tears.

“Of course. I promise.” Eve felt her voice crack. She had no idea where all this emotion was spilling from. Perhaps, she reasoned, it was because she had never truly hated the man. Perhaps she had always expected that he would survive, and that they would be able to free him from both his book and Prospero. But this … this goodbye, was not something she had ever imagined. It had taken her completely by surprise.

But what was more surprising, Eve found, was that she wasn’t ready to say goodbye. There was still so much more to be said, so many adventures to be had. In her head, she found that she had been subconsciously planning his recruitment to the Library as a consultant - her irregular, as it were. But now, none of that was possible, and it just wasn’t fair.

Her musings were quickly interrupted, however, by Moriarty’s genuine response.

“Thank you.” 

Moriarty then stepped back, slipping out her embrace with obvious reluctance. They both watched as his body began to shimmer, breaking down slowly into inky black wisps. It was almost over.

“I’ll miss you, my dear Duchess.” Moriarty’s voice cracked this time.

“And I you, my dear Villain.” Eve responded in her own crude English accent, not mocking but rather indulging, trying to bring some light to their situation despite the tragic end that was transpiring.

Moriarty laughed heartily, and this time there was no hiding the tears that swept down his cheeks. He stood with his arms wide, not taking his eyes away from her for a second.

“You know, I’ve never been fond of that title. But when it falls from your lips … I believe I rather like it.”

The guardian felt the laugh escape her lips before she could stop it, tears freely flowing now. As she watched, Moriarty faded into black smoke before her eyes. His bright blue irises were the last bit of the Fictional that she would ever see, and she committed them desperately to memory before they too, were swept away.

Unable to move for a few moments, Eve simply stood, letting her tears dry as she stared at the spot where Moriarty - James - had vanished. He had deserved more, she thought. She didn’t always agree with him, and she had never truly trusted him, but he had deserved better. He had earned his place in the world, the real world, but now would never be able to fill it.

Finally, feeling returned to her lower limbs, and she began her slow trek back into the Library.

Later, she sat at her desk in the Annex, staring wistfully at the book on her desk. The agonising silence was quickly interrupted by the arrival of Ezekiel, however.

“Colonel Baird! Colonel - oh, there you are. Flynn and Jenkins were about to take us all out for drinks. A night off before the work begins again. You coming?”

Eve stared at the young man, who had grown so much since she had met him. Starting out as a rogue thief, Ezekiel Jones was now an official Librarian, a man who had sacrificed himself for her more times than anyone could ever know. 

“Thanks, Jones, but I think I’ll sit this one out. I’ve got a bit of reading to catch up on.”

“Are you sure?” Eve nodded, and Ezekiel continued. "Well, I’ll text you the address anyway, in case you change your mind.”

Eve watched as he turned away, before returning her attention to her desk. Before she could do anything else, however, Ezekiel spoke again.

“Colonel, are you okay?”

Eve looked up to see worry clouding the young man’s face. She must look worse than she thought, she mused.

“I’m fine, thank you Jones.” She knew her voice was more clipped than it should have been, but damn it, she had had a rough day. Sighing, she quickly apologised. “Sorry, it’s just … I didn’t expect him to go like that, or that soon.”

Ezekiel nodded, seeming to understand. Eve wondered if he had been through a loss like this before; the empathy in his eyes was too palpable not to be the result of a shared experience. But his secrets would remain his own for now, she knew.

“I understand. I hope you know, though, that if you ever need to, you know, talk to someone …?”

Ezekiel trailed off, clearly uncomfortable. Eve smiled; she could hear his genuine tone no matter how much he tried to hide it by leaving the sentence unfinished. She was incredibly touched by how much the youngest Librarian cared.

“Thank you, Ezekiel.”

Ezekiel nodded, clearly content with how the conversation had ended. He then turned and continued making his way out of the Annex. Eve waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps before staring down at the book before her once again.

“‘The Final Problem’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Here we go …” Eve spoke softly as she gracefully traced the words on the cover of the novel. Taking a deep breath, the guardian cracked open the spine and began to read.

**Author's Note:**

> FIN. Yeah, so like I said, I'm pretty sure that we haven't seen the end of Moriarty, but this fic just wouldn't stop bugging me. Oh and the book that Eve begins to read at the end is the first Sherlock Holmes story that James Moriarty actually appears in (he's also in The Valley of Fear, which was set before but written afterward). Amazing that a character who only appeared in two canon books could be so well known and loved. Anyway, hope you enjoyed that, and have a fantastic day :D


End file.
